America in Primetime

Independent Woman reveals how women have transformed from model housewives to complex, and sometimes controversial, characters. It features - I Love Lucy; Murphy Brown; and Sex in the City.

In 1950s television, the man of the house was king of his castle, but then he began losing control. Was it all an illusion to begin with? - All in the Family - The Andy Griffith Show - The Bernie Mac Show - Big Love - Breaking Bad - The Cosby Show - The Dick Van Dyke Show - Everybody Loves Raymond - Leave It to Beaver - Mad Men - Modern Family - The Sopranos - Thirtysomething

Whether they are oddballs, losers, or just plain weird, misfit characters have grown beyond comic stereotypes and are taking centre stage with a vengeance, refusing to apologise for who they are. - 30 Rock - The Addams Family - Arrested Development - Beavis and Butthead - Curb Your Enthusiasm - Freaks and Geeks - The Larry Sanders Show - The Office - Seinfeld - Six Feet Under - Taxi - True Blood - United States of Tara

Heroes today are complex. Their stories are told with increasing humanity, depicting characters who confront almost impossible choices as they fight evil in a world where the line between right and wrong is often blurred. - 24 - Dexter - Homicide: Life on the Street - House - M*A*S*H - NYPD Blue - The Shield - The Wire - The X-Files